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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

D. MAGPHERSON. RAILWAY FROG.

No. 562,916. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

wifnes 3 es ANDREW'B GRAHAM. PHDTD-UYMQWASMINGTDR. DC

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. MAGPHERSON. RAILWAY FROG Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

(No Model.) SSheets-Sheet 3.

D. MAGPHERSON.

RAILWAY FROG.

No. 552,916. Patnted Jan. 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn DUNCAN MACPHERSON, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0t Letters Patent No. 552,916, dated January 14, 1896. Application filedd'uly 31, 1895. Serial No. 557,725. on model.)

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DUNCAN MAcPHERsoN, a citizen of Canada, residing at Montreal, in the county of Hochelaga and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Frogs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of railway-frogs which are designed for use in conjunction with an unbroken main-line rail, and it has for its general objeot to provide a simple and cheap movable frog of the character mentioned which may be made out of two pieces of ordinary steel rail and equally as strong as a fixed frog, and one whose parts will rest away from the mainline rail when the switch is set for a clear main track, so as not to be damaged by fast trains passing over said track, and which when inadvertently set for a siding will permit a train coming from the direction opposite to the switch to pass through without being raised or jolted, and this without in any manner injuring the frog or parts connected therewith or the rolling-stock.

Other obj ects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway, illustrating my improved frog as set for a siding, together with the mechanism through the medium of which the frog is adjusted. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the frog set for a clear main track. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines 0: cc, 11g, and z z, respectively, of Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a detail elevation.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A A indicate unbroken main-track rails.

B indicates that portion of an inner broken turn-out rail which rests between the main rails, and is fully spiked, so as to securely hold it in position.

B indicates that portion of the inner broken turn-out rail which rests on the outside of the 1nain-track rails, and is also fully spiked, and 0 indicates the inner member of my improved frog, which is suitably connected in a hinged manner with the heel of rail B, and is mount-- ed upon plates a,spiked to the sleepers or ties, so that it will rest sufficiently high to enable the flanges of wheels passing it to clear the main rail A. This frog member C may be and preferably is, for the sake of economy, formed of a piece of ordinary steel rail, and by reason of its being mounted upon the plates a it is adapted to overlap the rail A, as better shown in Fig. i, and conduct the wheels of a train across the same. The said member O is bent so that its free end, when it is in the position shown in Fig. 1, will rest away from the rail A, and not offer an obstruction to the passage of the wheels of a train traveling in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, and the said end is beveled, as indi cated by b, so that it will not be caught by anything hanging from a passing train, while the upper side of the forward portion of the member is inclined, as indicated by c, for a purpose presently described.

D indicates the outer frog member, which is connected in a hinged manner to the end of the turn-out rail 13, and is mounted upon plates (Z, spiked to the ties, so as to enable it also to overlap the main rail A, as better shown in Fig. 4:. This member D, like the inner member 0, may be and preferably is formed of a piece of steel rail, and it preferably has its upper side beveled at its free end, as indicated by 6, so as to permit the treads of wheels to pass from the member C- onto it without knocking against or damaging it and without jolting, and also has the outer side of its head beveled at its free end, as indicated by e, so as to enable the flanges of the wheels to better engage it as they pass off of the member 0, and furthermore has its inner side beveled at its free end.

When my improved frog is in the position shown in Fig. 2, or out of operation, it will be observed that both members (1 D rest at such a distance from the main rail A that they will not be touched and consequently will not be damaged by the wheels of fast trains passing over the main-traok rails,whieh are the chief factors in damaging and destroying frogs and it will also be observed that by virtue of the main rail being unbroken and continuous and the frog members resting at a considerable distance from the same there can be no possibility of loose or widegage wheels taking the wrong side of the frog-point. It will also be observed that when the frog is in the position shown in Fig.

1, or set for a siding, it is just as strong as a fixed frog and is just as reliable, if not more so. Indeed, when set for a siding my improved frog will permit the wheels-of a train moving on main track in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1' to pass through with out any rise or jolt, and as the flanges or the wheels press against the frog member C, while the outer sides of the wheels press againstthe member D, it will be seen that the strain-on the parts of the frog is equally distributed, and consequently neither the members 0 D nor any of the parts connected therewith will be straine'dout of shape or otherwise damaged. I

My improved frog may be used to advantage in conjunction with various "kindsof switches and -may' be operated through the medium of any suitable mechanism. I prefer, however, to use the frog in conjunction with theswitch disclosed in my Letterslatent -No. 465,531, and operate it through the medium of the improved mechanism illustrated which is designed to be connected fwith the switch-operating mechanism (not illustrated) so that both switch and frog may beoperated in concert in the ordinary manner from asingle switch-stand.

The frog-operating mechanism, as better illustrated in'Figs. i 1 and 2, comprises the plate f, which is connected with the frog member 0 by bolts g, the heads ofwhich are designed to bear against-the head of main rail A when the frog is in the position shown in lilig. 4:; the plate 72, which is connected with the frog member D by bolts 11, the heads 'of' which are also designed'tobear against the head of rail A when the parts are in the .p'ositioushown'in Fig.4; the T-lever M,

'vide'd-at its opposite endwith an eye 41.

mounted opposite the frog members and pref-i verably atthe side of the track, and the rods N N, which are pivotally connected to opposite ends of j the lever M and -are pivotally connected'at their opposite ends to the plates f and h, respectively. By virtue of this construction it will be seen that when the lever -M is rocked the frog members 0 and D will be moved synchronously in opposite *direc -ti'ons toward or from the main rail A,accord-' ing to the direction in which the lever M is rocked. V

'P indicates a rodwhich is connected to the branch 'm'of lever M at one end and is pro- Q indicates a plate which is mounted, preferably in an adjustable manner, as shown,

upon the rod P.

It indicates what 1 term a compensating lever, which has one end connected to a rod S, designed to be connected in, a suitable manner with switch operating mechanism (not illustrated) and its opposite end connected with a rod T, which has a reduced portion g passed loosely through the aperture in plate Q.

U indicates a plate mounted, preferably in an adj ustable manner, upon rod T.

V indicates a rod connected to the plate U and having an eye 25, and 7 indicates a' coiled spring which surrounds the rod T and has its opposite ends connected to the eyes at of the rods P V, respectively. This spring W is of such a tension as to allow the frog members to be readily adjusted through the medium of the connecting-rod T, and also to give sufficiently to allow wheels traveling on rail A in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig.

'1 to push the frog members away from said rail A, as before described.

By reason of the wheels engaging both members of the frog, as juststated, they exert a firm steady pressure in two directions, and thereby obviate any tendency to twist or disturb any of the parts connected with the frog members.

If desirable the spring WVcan-be looked through the medium of a light pin y, passed through the connecting-rod T, as better shown in Fig. This affords all the advantages of a rigid connect-ionwith the switch-operating mechanism andyet allows the spring XV to act in case the frog isset for a siding when a train passes over the main track in the direction indicated by arrow, for it will be observed that the engagement of the first wheel with the frog members 0 D will break the pin 1 I have termed the lever B, before described, a compensating lever for the reason that it will compensate the expansion and contraction of the parts, so that the mechanism will workfreely at all times, which is a desideratum.

'When desirable a guard-rail maybe employed opposite frog on the turn-out side.

Having described my invention, what I claim is I 1. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a broken turnout rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frog comprising a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of the inner turnout rail portion and having its free portion bent so that its end will restaway from the main rail when it is a'djusted'against said rail, and a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of the outer turnout rail portion and adapted to be adjusted against the opposite sideof the main rail with respect to the first-named member, a lever M, having an angular arm m, rods connecting the opposite endsof said lever and the frog members, a rod T, for connection with a switch operating mechanism: and having a reduced end .2, a

plate adj ustably fixed on said rod, a rod connected to said plate and having an eye, a rod "P, connected with the arm or branch m, or

the lever M, and having an eye, a coiled spring having its ends connected to the eyes of rods a switch operating mechanism, a connection easily changed from rigid to flexible between said rod and the lever, and a coiled spring connected with said rod andthe lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

DUNCAN MACPHERSON.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK TAYLOR, HUGH R. COLLINS. 

